Ding-a-ling~~
The glass door swung, chiming the wind bell beneath the eaves.
Su Tang stepped in and looked the place over. It went for a small, refined vibe, not large, but every decoration sat just right, giving guests a sense of warmth and comfort the moment they entered. Clearly, the owner had put in the work.
Hmm… worth learning from.
He could set up a coffee corner at his private clinic to provide added service and help patients keep their spirits up.
He pulled out a chair by the window and sat, placing the Abnormal Psychology he'd just bought at a roadside bookshop to one side—when a purple-haired clerk came over.
He must have hit the timing just right, because he was the only customer. The evening sun poured through the glass and across the tabletop, tinting it a pale orange.
"Hello, sir. What would you like?"
The clerk bent slightly, a faint smile and a pretty blush on her face.
Su Tang looked up. Up close, he saw more clearly.
Her hair was indeed purple, but paler—closer to mauve. Side bangs covered one eye; through the faint gaps in her hair flashed a breathtaking green.
Around her neck was a collar with a metal pull-ring, a distinctive touch.
Even fully wrapped by a maid uniform, her figure was still striking—undulating curves in all the right places.
Mauve hair, green eyes, collar, big chest, side bangs, poster girl.
All the elements were there.
No wonder the shop could hold its own near the pricey city center.
As a business owner just getting started, Su Tang was motivated. A psych clinic and a café were different industries, but he could learn from other mountains' stones. Everybody likes looking at a beauty.
So he made a horizontal comparison… with his own Pawa.
Mm…
No comparison to be made.
Never mind that Pawa only came in on her days off; even hardware-wise, she fell short.
That chest—nice by normal standards, but it didn't qualify as "huge."
Maybe add some technological enhancements—pads and such for boost?
Or do some cosplay—turn the clinic into a theme?
In that sense, being a fiend gave Pawa a natural edge.
"Sir, sir…?"
The call by his ear snapped Su Tang from his thoughts.
Seeing the clerk's cheeks even redder than before and her eyes with a hint of reproach, Su Tang coughed in embarrassment.
He'd been thinking serious thoughts, but staring at someone's chest for too long was impolite and looked bad, so he apologized.
"Sorry, I zoned out."
"Mmm… it's fine." The clerk seemed used to the attention her figure drew. She shook her head and didn't dwell on it, asking again, "What would you like to drink, sir?"
"A latte, half sugar, thanks."
Su Tang thought a moment and ordered a latte.
A milk coffee—sweeter and more drinkable than straight espresso.
Aside from the cram days before exams in his pre-transmigration life, he basically didn't drink unsweetened coffee.
Same with other foods—cookies, bread—he preferred a touch of sweetness.
Tofu pudding doesn't count. Tofu pudding must be salty. How do you even eat it sweet?
"Alright, right away, sir."
Watching the clerk walk away, Su Tang noticed the book in her hand.
He'd seen someone reading inside from the street and had assumed it was a customer—not the clerk.
Looked like the owner wasn't in. Su Tang chuckled.
Then he pulled a small pendant from inside his shirt collar.
A bronze ornament.
About three centimeters long, with four dragon heads facing the four directions.
Pinching the bronze hilt below the dragon heads with thumb and forefinger, Su Tang held it up and shook it to the four winds.
Good—its eyes didn't turn red.
Satisfied, he tucked the ornament back into his collar.
Yes, it was the Talisman Locator from the original Jackie Chan Adventures.
Su Tang had no idea what method or magic the Holy Lord had used to shrink it to pendant size.
He only knew that by the contract, every time he used the Holy Lord's abilities he had to use this mini Locator to search for the Talismans' traces. If the dragon eyes glowed red, he had to do everything he could to obtain that Talisman.
That was the price of his devil contract.
He couldn't disobey—and he didn't plan to.
Compared to contracts that demanded lifespan and organs, his was pretty good.
And there was one tidbit only he knew.
By the original setting, the Talismans wouldn't begin surfacing until 2000. Before that, they were suppressed by righteous chi, and the Locator couldn't find them at all.
Which meant that before 2000, he could use the Holy Lord's powers unconditionally; each time he only needed to go through the motions with the Locator.
Of course, that was in theory. This world was crawling with devils; it wasn't the cartoon world he knew. Something unforeseen might happen.
So he told himself: no need to force restraint on the powers, but best not to abuse them and invite unknown risks.
If he ever used them and the Locator's eyes turned red… he'd be busy.
With that done, Su Tang picked up the Abnormal Psychology he'd set aside.
The fake license should be fine for now, but the real one would require him to sit the exam later in the year. He could review some material in advance.
And he'd found that Tokyo's "abnormal" types weren't normal in number—every kind of personality disorder, mental disorder, cognitive disorder… all present—he now suspected the gang boss from earlier had cognitive impairment. So he'd bought the textbook.
It was a required subject anyway.
He opened to the first page—and realized he'd bought a teacher's edition.
Teacher's edition, then. The explanations were more complete.
Not caring much, he read on in the glow of the sunset.
Chapter after chapter…
He only snapped out of it when his lips felt dry and he reached for his cup.
Night had already draped itself across the sky; the shop's lights had replaced the sunset.
Had he really read that long… and the clerk hadn't called him?
Rubbing his dry eyes, Su Tang turned to look.
And caught the scent of mauve hair at the tip of his nose.
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